Electric light bulb carton



5 F. A. CILLUFFO 3, 2

ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB CARTON Filed July 12, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANCIS A.C\LLUFFO ATTORNEY5 1968 F. A. CILLUFFO 3,4

ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB CARTON Filed July 12, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8o INVENTOR FRANCIS A.C.|LLUFFO ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,407,921 ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB CARTON Francis A. Cilluffo, Elrnhurst, N.Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 264,095,

Mar. 11, 1963. This application July 12, 1967, Ser.

13 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-piece electric light bulb carton including a cradle for supporting a plurality of bulbs within a wrap-a-round carton member.

Cross-reference to related application This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 264,095, filed Mar. 11, 1963, and now Patent No. 3,355,011.

Background of invention The invention relates to a two-piece carton for electric light bulbs wherein a supporting cradle member holds a plurality of light bulbs inwardly spaced from a wrap-around carton member and is particularly useful during assembly of a package with the use of automatic equipment for enclosing light bulbs within a wrap-a-round carton member.

Description of the prior art Many dilferent packages of cartons have been designed for protecting articles which are easily broken in shipment and handling. The primary concern of the designer is that the resultant carton be capable of satisfactorily protecting the contents of the package and yet be low enough in cost so as to not materially increase the consumers purchase price. Ordinarily, a one-piece carton saves a considerable sum of money over a two-piece carton but this is only in the manufacture of the carton by the carton supplier in his own plant. However, one-piece cartons present problems to the packager in that one-piece cartons are not readily adaptable for use with automatic packaging machinery. The two-piece carton which is the subject matter of this invention is an improvement over prior art structures in that the supporting cradle member is formed and light bulbs, or other articles, are inserted into the support cradle in its erected form after which the articles and cradle pass through automatic machinery where an outer wrapper is wrapped around the articles and the supporting cradle member.

Summary The two-piece carton of the present invention is comprised of a unique supporting cradle member readily adapted to support a plurality of light bulbs not only in the final package assembly but also during a packaging operation wherein automatic equipment is used to place a wrap-a-round carton member in a protective configuration about frangible articles.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel electric light bulb carton which includes an erectable supporting cradle capable of holding articles during application of a cover member by automatic machinery and also capable of supporting the articles in spaced relation from the walls of the cartons so as to minimize breakage during handling and shipment thereof.

Brief description of the drawing- FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank for a supporting cradle member which includes a plurality of 3,407,921 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 substantially identical supporting cradle blanks detachably connected together along perforated weakening lines.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an outer wrapper or cover which is particularly adapted to cooperate with supporting cradles formed from the blank of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a plurality of supporting cradles shown in erected condition and supporting a conventionally-shaped electric light bulb.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view illustrating the manner in which the blank of FIGURE 2 is placed about the support cradle and light bulb of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a package which contains a plurality of light bulbs protected by individual cartons which can be separated from the package along perforated weakening lines.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional View, taken along line 66 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIGURE 6.

Description 0 the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings in detail there is shown in FIGURE 1 a blank for supporting cradles 10 and 11 connected together along a perforated weakening line 12. Supporting cradles 10 and 11 are substantially identical to each other and a complete description of only one cradle will suffice for understanding the invention.

Each supporting cradle 10, 11 includes a body portion 14 comprised of a first side panel 16 and a second side panel 17. Body portion 14 is substantially rectangular and has a longitudinal center line 19 and a transverse center line 20. Side panels 16 and 17 are separated from each other and hingedly connected together by a pair of central panels 22 and 24. Central panel 22 is defined by a longitudinal free edge 26, a pair of fold lines 28 and 29 parallel to each other and to transverse center line 20, and a longitudinal fold line 30 which is parallel to the longitudinal center line 19.

Central panel 24 is defined by a longitudinal side edge which is determined by the perforated weakening line 12, and a pair of transverse fold lines 3 2 and 33 which are parallel to each other and to transverse center line 20, and a longitudinal fold line 34 which is parallel to longitudinal center line 19.

A locking flap 36 is hingedly connected to the central panel 22 along the fold line 30. Locking flap 36 includes a pair of knob-like portions 38 and 39, the function of which will be more particularly described hereinafter. Locking flap 36 is formed by a series of cut-lines in the body portion 14, the cut-lines providing a locking edge 41 on the side panel 16 and a locking edge 42 on the side panel 17. The cut-lines also provide knob-like portion 38 with an engaging edge 44, and the knob-like portion 39 is provided with an engaging edge 46.

Oblique fold lines 48 and 50 extend from opposite ends of longitudinal fold line 34, and cooperate with an extended cut-line 52 to define a stabilizing panel 54. Stabili zing panel 54 is provided with a pair of transversefold lines 56 and 57 which enable the panel 54 to be folded downwardly and inwardly of the erected supporting cradle 14, as is best shown in FIGURE 3.

Supporting cradle 10 is provided with a locking tab extension 60 and a locking tab extension 61 which, re spectively, extend longitudinally outwardly from parallel transverse edges 63 and 64 which define the longitudinal boundaries of body portion 14.

The supporting cradles 10 and 11 are best shown in erected form in FIGURE 3. Side panels 16 and 17 are moved to an upstanding position by folding along the transverse fold lines 28, 29, 32 and 33 so that the side panels 16 and 17 extend upwardly and inwardly toward each other. Locking flap 36 is then folded downwardly along longitudinal fold line 30 so that the engaging edges 44 and 46 engage with locking edges 41 and 42 while knob-like portions 38 and 39 overlie side panels 16 and 17 to prevent the supporting cradles and 11 from collapsing. It should be noted that locking edges 41 and 42 slant inwardly and upwardly of the support cradle and thereby preclude locking flap 36 from inadvertently pivoting upwardly about fold line 30. Consequently, supporting cradles 10 and 11 are maintained in erected condition.

Stabilizing panel 54 is folded along fold lines 34, 48, 50, 56 and 57 so as to extend downwardly and provide an opening between stabilizing panel 54 and locking flap 36 for receiving, for example, a screw base 66 of a conventional light bulb 68. Engagement of the stabilizing panel 54 and locking flap 36 with portions of the screw base 66 and bulb 68 holds the bulb 68 in proper position within the respective supporting cradles.

FIGURE 2 illustrates blank means 70 for a wrap-around carton which is utilized with the supporting cradles shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. Blank means 70 is comprised of a plurality of wrap-a-round carton members 72 and 73 which are substantially identical to each other and 'are particularly adapted for cooperating with supporting cradles 10 and 11.

The blank means 70 as well as the supporting cradles 10 and 11 are comprised of flexible material such as paperboard and the like, but may be made of other flexible materials which are suitable for and have sufiicient rigidity for the intended purpose.

The carton members 72 and 73 each includes a front panel 74, a rear panel 76, a top panel 78 and bottom panel means which are comprised of locking flap members 80 and 81.

As is more particularly described in application Ser. No. 264,095, a plurality of spacer members 82 are partially severed from the blank means 70 and, as best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, are movable inwardly of an erected carton for engaging the bulbous portion of light bulb 68 and maintaining it in spaced relation from the top panel 78, front panel 74, rear panel 76, and to hold the bulb 68 snugly seated within its respective supporting cradle 10, 11.

At the lowermost portions of front panel 74 and rear panel 76, the blank member 70 is provided with cut-lines 84 and 86 Which, in the erected form of the carton, provides slot means 87 and 88 for receiving therein the locking tab extension means 60 and 61 of the respective supporting cradle 10 and 11.

As is best shown in FIGURE 3, the cradle blank of FIGURE 1 is folded along the parallel transverse fold lines 28 and 29, 32 and 33, and 56 and 57 so that side panels 16 and 17 extend upwardly and inwardly toward each other. Stabilizing panel 54 is then folded downwardly and inwardly along the fold lines 34, 48 and 50 and bent along fold lines 56 and 57, and then locking flap 36 is folded downwardly along fold line thereby providing an opening in the cradle for receiving the screw base 66 of light bulb 68. It will be apparent that locking edges 41 and 42 are engaged by a respective end of engaging edges 44 and 46, the engaging edges 44 and 46 extending downwardly along side panels 16 and 17 for precluding col- 'lapse of the supporting cradle. With the cradle in this form, a plurality of light bulbs 68 are placed into the cradle openings resulting from the relocation of locking flap 36 and stabilizing panel 54.

FIGURE 4 discloses the blank means 70 of FIGURE 2 being placed in article encircling position. The wrap-around carton members 72 and 73 are particularly designed for cooperating with automatic machinery for placing the carton members about the supporting cradles and bulbs. Locking tab extensions 60 and 61 are fitted into slot means 87 and 88 which are formed by the cut-lines 84 and 86 of FIGURE 2. Spacer members 82 are pressed downwardly into engagement with the bulbs 68 thereby holding the locking tab extensions and 61 in proper location within slots 87 and 88.

It will be apparent that the present invention provides an improvement over co-pending application Ser. No. 264,095 in that the supporting cradles 10 and 11 are particularly adaptable for holding the articles 68 in proper position so that the wrap-a-round carton members 72 and 73 can be assembled by high-speed automatic equipment.

As is clearly shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the locking edges 41 and 42 are inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the transverse center line of the supporting cradle such that the locking fiap 36 provides a secure locking of the supporting cradle in its erected form.

It will be apparent from the foreging that there has been disclosed a unique electric light bulb carton wherein a plurality of bulbs are located inwardly of all boundaries of the carton so that the bulbs are securely protected against breakage during normal handling. The cradle supports and wrap-a-round carton members are preferably constructed of cardboard, paperboard, heavy paper or plastic, but it is to be understood that other similar flexible materials can be used.

While preferred forms and arrangement of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:

1. A blank adapted to be formed into a supporting cradle having a pair of legs joined to each other by a bight panel comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having a longitudinal centerline, a pair of Weakening lines transverse to said centerline dividing said body portion into a central panel and a pair of side panels, a locking flap formed from the material of all three of said panels, a fold line parallel to said centerline hingeably securing said locking flap to said central panel, said locking flap further being defined by a cut line means for forming an article-receiving opening when said locking flap is folded out of the plane of said central panel, means adjacent terminal end portions of said locking flap for interlockingly securing each terminal end portion to its adjacent side panel, and means adjacent said locking flap for stabilizing an article seated within said article-receiving opening, and said stabilizing means being in the form of a stabilizing panel hingeably joined to said body portion for folding downwardly into said article-receiving opening whereby said locking flap and stabilizing flap co-operate to retain an article seated within said articlereceiving opening.

2. The blank as defined in claim 1 wherein said side panels each include a longitudinally projecting tab for insertion into slots of a wrap-around carton within which said blank is adapted to be received.

3. The blank as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing flap is defined at least in part by said cut line means.

4. The blank as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing flap is hingeably connected to said central panel along a longitudinally disposed fold line.

5. The blank as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing flap is hingeably connected to at least one of said side panels by a fold line.

6. The blank as defined in claim 1 wherein said stabilizing flap is hingeably connected to all of said panels.

7. A supporting cradle for an article, said cradle comprising a body portion including a pair of upstanding side panels extending upwardly and inwardly toward each other, said side panels having lower free supporting edges, a central panel between said side panels, means in said central panel for supportingly receiving an article, a locking flap being defined by at least a portion of the material from said opening and being folded downwardly toward said supporting edges to a locked position in engagement with said side panels for holding said cradle in an erected position.

8. The supporting cradle as defined in claim 7 including an article supported by said supporting cradle with at least a portion of said article being seatingly received within said opening.

9. The supporting cradle as defined in claim 7 including means adjacent said locking flap for contacting and stabilizing an article seated within said opening.

10. The supporting cradle as defined in claim 7 wherein said locking flap is connected to said central panel along a fold line.

11. The supporting cradle as defined in claim 7 wherein locking tab extension means are formed integral with said side panels along the supporting edges thereof.

12. The supporting cradle as defined in claim 7 wherein said side panels include a locking edge extending upwardly and inwardly of said body portion, knob-like members on said locking flap at opposite ends thereof, said locking flap having an edge portion thereof engaging said locking edges of said side panels along a lower portion thereof, said knob-like members being disposed closely adjacent to outermost surfaces of said side panels and extending below said locking edges for maintaining said cradle in said erected position.

13. The supporting cradle as defined in claim 7 in combination with a wrap-around carton including a pair of side panels and top and bottom panels, locking tab extension means formed at the supporting edges of said cradle, and slot means formed in said carton for receiving said locking tab extension means therein for holding said cradle within said carton.

References Cited WILLIAM T. DIXSON, 111., Primary Examiner. 

